A Dolly World Visit With Deb of Debonairs Designs Patterns and Etsy Shop

Today we have a visit with Deb of Debonairs Designs Patterns and Etsy shop. Her stunning photos of dolls wearing her creations are inspiring and show this doll lovers true passion. Today Deb shares with us a behind the scenes look at her designs, shop and doll collection.

How did you get started creating for dolls:

My first introduction to the popular American Girl Dolls came in 2006, since I was already knitting sweaters for teddy bears, my husband suggested I knit for these dolls too, and so began my love affair designing and knitting for dolls

It was during my first year of knitting for dolls that I stumbled on the comparable sized 18” Götz dolls, with Katie from the Little Sisters line being my very first model, needless to say they are my first love, since then I have come to love and learn of so many more. Today, my pattern portfolio now includes designs for the slim bodied all vinyl dolls like the poseable Kidz ‘n’ Cats series by Sonia Hartmann

How you come up with your designs:

I like to design clothes typically found in knitwear fashion, sweaters/cardigans/jackets, along with trendy hoodies and accessories. Not wanting to stagnate and always passionate to develop and improve upon designs, yet keeping an eye on fashion trends is important to me, nature by far is my inspiration for color palettes

What you are working on next:
Currently I am in the process of working on designs for my new pattern book publication,  ‘Kalendar Kidz’, an heirloom designer’s knitwear multi-pattern book featuring original designs for the Kidz ‘n’ Cats girls and boys, with easy to follow instructions suitable for both the beginner and experienced knitters to enjoy, designed for those who have, as I do, a passion for knitting for dolls, to be enjoyed for years to come.

Any tips or tricks to reading patterns:

When I began writing up my patterns, my intention was to create easy to follow patterns formatted with line-by-line written instructions along with buttonhole placement, thus giving the knitter the confidence to explore and most importantly, have fun knitting. Trust the pattern would be my one tip, no tricks, no guess work needed. As one customer stated:   “Although I'm an experienced knitter, I still appreciated the written out directions and easier ways to make great color work. The patterns are so much fun to make that my granddaughter will probably end up having the best dressed American Girl Doll in Colorado! ” ~ Denise 
 

	What you want our readers to know: My first two pattern books for the American Girl/Götz dolls are already available on my blog or Amazon, and to my delight and surprise have been amazingly popular. I original created my knitting designs for dolls as an avenue for pursuing my passion.  Encouragement for the knitting challenged (like me) : Working doll-sized outfits is also a great way to explore and/or practice new stitch patterns, along with an introduction to colorwork, one customer commented she has learned so much by knitting my doll designs, that she has gone from an advanced-beginner to an intermediate one. I encourage you to grab your needles for a journey into the wonderful world of knitting for dolls   You can find more about Deb by clicking any of these links.
	http://debonairdesignsblogspot.blogspot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/DebDenair https://twitter.com/DebDenair Also join me on Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/designs4dolls/ and be sure to check out what inspires me via my mood board https://www.pinterest.com/designs4dolls/debonairs-mood-board/  Thank you Deb for sharing with us today. Now it is your turn to share your story. Email me at karenmowen@gmail.com to share your story!   As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com